Yury Rubtsou faces new criminal case

February 11, Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski and deputy chairmanValiantsin Stefanovich visited political prisoner Yury Rubtsou in the open correctional facility located in the village of Kuplin in Pruzhany district.

During the meeting, Mr. Rubtsou told the human rights activists about the latest events including his conflict with the head of the correctional facility. The Investigation Committee carried out an inspection on this fact and took explanations from the prisoner. However, Yury Rubtsou refused to explain anything concerning the appeal of the head of the correctional facility to the Investigative Committee. A criminal case hasn't been instigated so far.

Yury Rubtsou believes that he has been sentenced to personal restraint illegally and the verdict is politically motivated and is aimed at intimidating him and isolating him from the society.

Human rights activists are extremely concerned about the latest events around the political prisoner. They do not rule out a new criminal case against Yury Rubtsou for allegedly insulting the head of the correctional facility and evasion from serving the penalty.

Let us remind that Mr. Rubtsou was convicted on October 6, 2014 to 18 months in an open correctional facility on charges of insulting the judge of the Savetski District Court of Minsk Kiryl Palulekh. While in detention, he kept a hunger-strike for ten days in order to defend his rights. The political prisoners refuses to work for the poor wage he is proposed for working during the personal restraint term.